Interesting article about competitive sports and depression

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to a school with no cuts for any sports and a sports requirement. The number of kids who try new things is inspiring. For the first time in a long time, after we switched to this kind of school, I see kids playing for fun again, even the really athletic kids. They get all the benefit of exercising and working hard to improve, being a part of team, having leadership opportunities, learning the thrill of victory and agony of defeat, with none of the other modern nonsense we are seeing in youth athletics.

The competitiveness of some leagues and schools (and we've been there too) is a disaster for development, and it is all related to college admissions, for profit youth sports, tracking kids to levels and labeling them according to ability, and measuring their worth based on these levels. It is all marketing. It is the same tactic used by the most addictive video games. Parent and their kids have become addicted to leveling up in pay to play sports.

Do you mind sharing what school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

if you still turn away the majority of kids who come out for tryouts there aren't enough spots

Blame the BIG 100-220 county school districts like MoCo, Fairfax and even DC. 9th grade can be 400-800 students at some of their high schools, times four grades. Same team sizes.

I wish it was a township public school - academics, autonomy, sports, community- would all better serve the actual students. The county model is just corrupt and mismanaged. ESP in barbell large counties (huge % of above avg performers and huge % of below).

Mmm hmmm, and so you'd have, what, 100+ township public high schools compared to the 30 or so public HS's that exist now in Ffx Country? How would you fit that many athletic facilities and fields into the county? Who would pay for those? You have no idea what you're talking about and the scope, and you are fee to go back to NJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to a school with no cuts for any sports and a sports requirement. The number of kids who try new things is inspiring. For the first time in a long time, after we switched to this kind of school, I see kids playing for fun again, even the really athletic kids. They get all the benefit of exercising and working hard to improve, being a part of team, having leadership opportunities, learning the thrill of victory and agony of defeat, with none of the other modern nonsense we are seeing in youth athletics.

The competitiveness of some leagues and schools (and we've been there too) is a disaster for development, and it is all related to college admissions, for profit youth sports, tracking kids to levels and labeling them according to ability, and measuring their worth based on these levels. It is all marketing. It is the same tactic used by the most addictive video games. Parent and their kids have become addicted to leveling up in pay to play sports.

Do you mind sharing what school?

A private school. No cuts and sports requirement is impossible for public HS in the DMV counties surrounding the district.

[Anonymous]

Why does PE have to be the only outlet for physical fitness for these kids? Go for a 30 minute walk with your kid. Is that not an option?

BTW, my primary school PE teacher in the 70s & 80s was not any more fit than what you describe. The “fit” PE teacher in secondary school was a roid monster all about gains in the weight room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP.

Here is a link to the article OP quoted.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-04-10/youth-sports-mental-health-pandemic

I agree with many of the author's points. At risk awakening the forum bully, the instability of youth sports, and particularly soccer, is detrimental to the lessons you want to teach kids - taking risks, managing stress, and persisting through setbacks. Putting kids on a never-ending chopping block beginning at 8 is setting kids up for mental health issues.

Looks like nonsense to me. The crucial quote is this one: "higher in some cases than those in the age-matched control groups". Higher in some cases, strongly implies "lower in others". In other words - these kids are about as depressed as thye average kid - neither more, nor less. If sports was correlated with depression - which wouldn't be the same as causing it even then - then there should have been a significantly higher rate of depression amongst the sportsters than the control groups. Sounds like that was not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does PE have to be the only outlet for physical fitness for these kids? Go for a 30 minute walk with your kid. Is that not an option?

BTW, my primary school PE teacher in the 70s & 80s was not any more fit than what you describe. The “fit” PE teacher in secondary school was a roid monster all about gains in the weight room.

No. When I was at achool - a long time ago now - all my PE teachers were in shape without being roid monsters - mostly because they exercised regularly, played sport themselves and probably didn't eat like piglets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

Do public schools have freshman teams?

Deepnds on the sport - but yes - plenty do. Not all though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to a school with no cuts for any sports and a sports requirement. The number of kids who try new things is inspiring. For the first time in a long time, after we switched to this kind of school, I see kids playing for fun again, even the really athletic kids. They get all the benefit of exercising and working hard to improve, being a part of team, having leadership opportunities, learning the thrill of victory and agony of defeat, with none of the other modern nonsense we are seeing in youth athletics.

The competitiveness of some leagues and schools (and we've been there too) is a disaster for development, and it is all related to college admissions, for profit youth sports, tracking kids to levels and labeling them according to ability, and measuring their worth based on these levels. It is all marketing. It is the same tactic used by the most addictive video games. Parent and their kids have become addicted to leveling up in pay to play sports.

It would be wonderful if all private schools would embrace this model. No cuts can go beyond JV and freshman teams if there are enough players.

Sports should be for all who want to play. Private schools could figure this out if they put it as a priority and change their perspective making more of their student body happier and healthier. A bonus would be that no cut teams could also help students negatively impacted by the pandemic shutdown move beyond it in many ways.

[Anonymous]

Yes let’s help the private school kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

Do public schools have freshman teams?

Deepnds on the sport - but yes - plenty do. Not all though.

NP here. Large high schools should be fielding an A team and a B team starting freshman year, all the way through high school. The A track would end in Varsity, the B track would not. Coaching staff and field space would be two obstacles, but I wish school systems would overcome them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MS & HS sports should be open to more kids. I think more kids wouldn’t drop out at age 13 if that was the case.

It wouldn't be hard for schools to fields multiple teams in most sports. Of course then the kids wouldn't represent the school per se, but if we think athletics are really an important part of what happens in high school, then why not field three volleyball teams if enough kids want to play?

You mean like Varsity, JV and freshmen teams?

Do public schools have freshman teams?

Deepnds on the sport - but yes - plenty do. Not all though.

NP here. Large high schools should be fielding an A team and a B team starting freshman year, all the way through high school. The A track would end in Varsity, the B track would not. Coaching staff and field space would be two obstacles, but I wish school systems would overcome them.

That was the same argument used against girls' sports. The schools could figure it out if they weren't given a choice

[Anonymous]

Your ES snowflakes can’t deal with physical exertion at all.

Field Day is a carnival with snowcones and bottled water and passive.

Pacer Day makes students race to the clinic for inhalers and water or they faint or become lightheaded.

Recess makes them hot and sweaty.


Pollen makes them sneeze so you write a note that student will stay inside in the clinic or library during all outside activities. (See above)

Many choose to “sit out” or not participate in PE sports units.

The end of the year school “dance” has a Quiet Room set aside for those who’d prefer to play cards or games or sit quietly.